RWBY: The Dark Fables: Frost's War
by Drake Shade
Summary: Drake Shade is a Faunus, and a member of the Atlesian White Fang. He has taken it upon himself to free the Faunus from their oppression, and spare any more children from the suffering and loss that he himself went through. Raiding and pillaging across Solitas, Drake begins to unlock a great, destructive power within him-a power linked to a horrific past.
1. Prologue

James stood in the middle of a ruined and devastated village. The stone roads of the town were cracked and scorched, much like the houses. Red stains marked where the inhabitants had lain only a short while before, slaughtered by the White Fang. He glanced to the side, where Clover talked to a few wounded soldiers. Atlesian Knights marched through the streets of the town, keeping tight guard of the area until they were done with the investigation.

Clover finished his questioning and strode to James, saluting as he approached. "It was the Black Death, sir. He caused this damage. Considering the testimony of the other survivors, it's almost certain it was him. Lethy is going around and checking their memories, though, just to make sure."

James stroked his chin. "I don't understand. I thought that we had his Semblance narrowed down. But this doesn't fit any of the options. And it doesn't fit his M.O.. Chasing after civilians, slaughtering fleeing individuals? Something's not right."

"Perhaps one of the civilians Semblances? Made him lose control, become more aggressive?"

"Maybe. But if we consider that, we'd have to consider the idea that Ragnar used one of his own people to make him lose control. He's done far worse before, so I wouldn't put it past him."

Clover crossed his arms, looking out over the ruins. "Intel says he's a kid, right?"

"Aged around fourteen. Lived on the streets for two years, until he was recruited by Ragnar, along with a dozen other children, and has served with Ragnar in the Frost Fangs, and now the White Fang, for four years."

"Maybe he's losing control of himself," Clover suggested. "If he is a kid, he could be experiencing uncontrollable mood swings, extreme reactions, guilt, shame, anger. And as a kid, he can't efficiently handle those emotions. This could've been the breaking point."

James nodded. "The next question would be what tipped him over. Get information on the other Faunus that participated here. Anyone that Drake was close to on the streets that's with him now, anyone he protects more than others, if anyone was harmed when he went over. Understood?"

Clover nodded, turning and moving away to question the soldiers again. James sighed and kneaded his eyes, feeling the exhaustion of a long, arduous day falling onto him. Dealing with Ragnar's terrorists always drained him of energy, and the bodies of the children he enlisted haunted his nights. But now, this. A child with enough power to slaughter hundreds of people and destroy a dozen fighters just by himself. And with his unstable mindset, enough firepower to drop one of his battleships.

He looked to the outskirts of the town, where the KAS Emerald Sky lay, smoke still rising from its broken corpse. It's twisted, hulking shape over the horizon gave James chills. One of the greatest machines in Remnant, a floating fortress, brought down like it was a leaf in the fucking wind. He didn't want to see what Ragnar would come up next, now that the boy's potential was revealed.

And yet, this scene brought dark memories to his mind. Of another burnt village, overwhelmed with Grimm, corpses strewn through the wreckage. Of black fire raging through the ruins, of purple lightning flashing in the sky. And a child, one of the few survivors of the attack. Clutching the charred bodies of his parents, one of whom held a strange, black khopesh in their hand.

He needed to contact Oz. This was something of magic, something that could not be understood with science, with reason. He could make sense of this. He could tell him how to stop Ragnar.

James turned away from the village and strode to the outskirts, where an airship sat, waiting for him to board it. He would end this damn war with Ragnar. He would save the boy, if he could. And he would protect Atlas, at any cost. He would not let it fall into anarchy. He would not let Salem win this battle.

* * *

Drake gazed at the destroyed village, watching the survivors and Atlesian soldiers march through the cracked, burnt streets. The setting sun cast long, dark shadows throughout the town, hiding much of the destruction, as well as Drake himself, from the casual looks of the humans. A wind blew through the forest surrounding the settlement, ruffling his clothes and hair, but carrying the sharp scent of smoke and blood to him.

Ducking back behind his tree, Drake closed his eyes. He could still hear the screams of the humans, feel the sickening feeling of his blade slicing through their flesh, see the spray of blood that erupted from their bodies. He shivered, holding his hands over his stomach. Bile swirled in his gut, threatening to spill out of his mouth in a foul stream.

By the gods, what had he done? He'd never killed so many before. He'd never lost control like that before. He'd never...never seen anything like that before. It had been so easy, like he was cutting through shadows.

He clasped his hands over his mouth, feeling the bile begin to rise as he dug his claws into his cheeks. It burned in his gut, forcing its way up his throat, until it spewed from his mouth. He collapsed to his knees, hurling up all the crap in his stomach. He gagged as the foul taste of his puke filled his mouth, residing there even after he had finished.

Drake couldn't stand back up. His limbs were far too weak to support him right now, drained off all their strength. And he didn't dare use his Semblance to gather the required energy. Using it had, after all, caused all this death and devastation. He didn't want to take any more lives, not when he didn't need to.

After resting for a few minutes, Drake stood back up, legs shaking, and stumbled back to the clearing Veronika had stayed in. Snow began to fall, flakes drifting through the branches of the pine trees. He shivered again, this time from the cold that permeated the forest. If not for his Aura and Dust heated clothing, he'd have frozen to death by now.

He staggered into the clearing, panting heavily. His head was bowed as weariness rolled through him, buckling his knees under him and tossing him to the frozen dirt. But before he hit it, he was caught by familiar, safe arms. And the moment he smelled her fragrance, his body fell limb, finally finding its solace. At last, he was safe.


	2. Chapter 1: A Spark

Pain. Fear. Grief. Rage. Swirling through me, sinking through my skin, seeping into my blood. I pulsed, growing faster and faster, beating out a breakneck tempo, thundering in my chest, my head, my arteries, my veins. Anguish lanced through my body, debilitating agony leaving me breathless. I try to breathe, to bring oxygen in, but the smoke-by the gods, the smoke-blocks it, suffocating me. I tried to lift the beam, but my muscles couldn't move. A blinding light seared my eyes, ripping into my skull, cascading over my body, burning it to cinders. I tried to scream, but since I had nothing to use, only the slight clacking of teeth came out. Pain. Rage. Distress. Pulsating, grinding, swallowing, tearing into my body, scorching my soul, gutting me. My hands are on the sword, a grin on my face, as the eyes of the humans-

Drake snapped awake, head whipped to the side, his cheek stinging. His hand shot to grasp Umbra's handle over his shoulder as he sat up, his energy provided by his Semblance already coursing through his system. But before he could stand up and draw his blade, his eyes cleared from their sleep and revealed Magnus standing above him, frowning. Drake sensed the worry filling him, relaxing as he realized there was no threat.

"What the hell was that for?" Drake grumbled, releasing Umbra and rubbing his cheek.

"You were having a nightmare, and your Aura was crackling all over your body, sparks flying everywhere. We don't need you starting a fire in here."

Drake closed his eyes, sighing. "Ah. Thanks, then."

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he opened his eyes and stared into Magnus' as he leaned down over him. The man's eyes bored into his, his brows drawn close together. "If you want, I can use my Semblance. I can try to help, to show-"

"Thanks, Magnus, but I'm okay," Drake assured him, glancing away. "It's just something I need to work through for myself."

Magnus kept his hand on Drake's shoulder for a few more seconds, squeezing it softly, before letting go and stepping back. He turned around and left the room, leaving Drake alone. Or at least as the only one awake.

Veronika rested beside Drake, curled up on their bed. Her hair fanned out on the sheets, the soft sounds of her breathing soothing Drake. Her jade necklace was clutched in one of her hands, sheltered from any harm that may befall it. He moved some stray strands of her hair from her face, his eyes caught by her peaceful expression. Her complete lack of any negative emotions helped center him and blocked out the maelstrom that surrounded them.

Outside their room, outside their building, Drake could feel a hundred different people, each one consumed with their own fear, anger, desperation, weariness, pouring off their bodies. All of it seeping through the walls and into him, fueling his body with energy. His store of energy was already monumental, simmering within him, just begging to be let out. He always hated coming to Mantle. Too much shit infested the city, all of it being pulled straight into him.

Standing up from the bed, Drake moved to window and peered out through the blinds. The tall, grimy buildings that filled Mantle clawed at the sky, reaching for Atlas as it hung in the sky high above it. The smog that enveloped the city did little to brighten the mood of the city, and the trash that filled the streets, at least the ghetto's streets, though unsightly did provide the thousands of homeless with some material to build temporary homes in alleyways and sewers. A meagre way to support those who couldn't afford a house or food. At least they all had heating.

Drake closed his eyes. He could feel the other inhabitants of the White Fang safehouse scattered throughout the rooms, waiting for their orders. After spending a week with them, Drake was able to identify them with his emotional sense. Dara was in the sparring room, moving through her practice motions with a savage pleasure, while Will cooked in the kitchen, the faint smell of his stew filling the whole floor as his frustration and jealousy receded within himself. And Magnus was in the command room, sulking in his pain and regrets.

A ragtag group of soldiers, handpicked by Magnus. Ragnar's elite, part of his answer to Ironwood's Spec Ops. Their team and another were the only ones Ragnar had at the moment, but he had a dozen more prospects lined up, waiting until they got a little older and more experience before picking them out.

But his mind drifted back to his nightmare. He shivered. Before the raid on that village a month ago, he hadn't had them for two years, ever since he had started sleeping in the same room as Veronika. She had always seemed to be a wall, a shield against the horrors of the world. But now he was having them even as he slept right next to her. What if he continued to regress? What if he killed more people? What if he started another massacre? Questions and panic began to race through Drake's mind, drowning him.

Then Drake heard Veronika stir behind him, almost instantly driving his fear away, and opened his eyes, turning to see her sitting up. She rubbed her eyes, yawning, before stretching her arms out. "Anything happen yet?" she asked, rolling her head to stretch out her neck.

"No. Still stuck here with the old guys." He strode over to the bed and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his body. "Have a good rest?"

She stiffened against him. "Another nightmare?"

He sighed, resting his chin on her head. "It's fine. Nothing to worry about."

"Drake, it's clearly not nothing. If you want to talk about it, I'm here. Ragnar's here. You don't need to be a hero for us."

Drake stayed silent, focusing on the sound of Veronika's breathing. He heard her grumble quietly, but in the end she relaxed into his chest, letting him draw her closer to his body. He inhaled her scent as she took his right hand, playing with it. She dragged her fingers along the sharp edges of his claws and spikes on his knuckles, stroking her thumb on the leathery skin.

They stayed like that for a while, listening to the ambient sounds of the city and building, soaking in each others presence. But after an hour, Drake's stomach rumbled, gurgling in their silence. Veronika snorted. "You know, if you're hungry, you should eat something. You don't have to stay here and starve."

"Eh, I can manage."

She dug her elbow under his ribs, looking up at him and giving him a pointed glare. "Eat. Or I'll have to scratch you." She flexed her hand, forming a dark red feline paw over it, claws extended.

Drake leaned away from her, eyeing her claws. "Fine."

He stood up from the bed, followed swiftly by Veronika. They left the room and headed to the kitchen. As they entered, though, Drake paused. He turned around, hand flying to Umbra. He could feel half a dozen people flying straight towards their hideout, anger and ferocity growing stronger second by second. All of it directed towards their floor. To them.

"Veronika, get Magnus and Dara. We may have incoming," he said to her, crouching down slightly before yelling over his shoulder to Will, still in the kitchen. "Will, get your trident, we have Incoming!"

Veronika dashed down the hall, disappearing around a corner. Will stepped around Drake and followed after her, giving him a nod as he passed. Drake drew his sword, staring down the corridor to his room. They'd come crashing through those windows first, try to use surprise and quick brute force to knock them out as fast as possible. The roar of an airships engines could heard as they grew closer, the sound rattling the window and thin walls. Drake charged forward as the ship stopped just outside, a figure crashing through the glass.

Energy began to course through his body, creating a tingling sensation within him. His Aura crackled over his skin, his shield snapping into place, even as the world around him seemed to slow. His mind was now enhanced by the energy, his reactions and thoughts like lightning. Though the Atlesian opposite him was surrounded by yellow sparks, dancing along her body, her movements matching his own.

Drake switched his grip on Umbra so that the blade was pointing back behind him. The woman didn't have a blade herself, only some kind of 'skeleton' on her arms and hands. Probably augmented her strength, letting her hit her target harder. His blade would only give her an advantage in close quarters. As they charged each other, she threw a fist at him, which he copied, pouring energy into his limb..

They crashed together, fists slamming against one another. They stood still for a moment, straining against the other, Drake's Aura crackling and shimmering over his fist as her 'arm' began to spark and groan. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Drake's youthful appearance, then narrowed, her teeth gritting together as she tried to push back against him. He could almost taste the anger and annoyance that pulsed from her.

Drake winced, letting her fist push his back, lessening his grip on the floor and letting her slide him backwards. But once the barest trace of a smile appeared on her lips, he stopped strengthening his muscles and dropped everything into his speed, ducking under his arm in a flash and began to barrage her torso with a flurry of quick jabs. Her surprise bought him a second, which to them was a lifetime, but she quickly jumped backwards, grimacing.

They began to trade punches and kicks, each strike completed in the blink of an eye, but she was gradually pushed backwards. Drake was consumed by the battle, mind completely focused on managing his Semblance. In one moment, he'd fuel his nerves, his attacks becoming as quick as light. In the next, he'd have fortified his muscles, driving his fist into her arms or gut with enhanced strength, or blocking her attacks with his own arms and the flat of his blade. And in his rush to switch the energy flow, he would fail to strengthen the right muscles in time, pulling on the tendons and fracturing the bones in his arms, which he'd have to heal, or just dull the pain, with a pulse of Aura in the affected area.

Drake drove the woman back into his room, where she suddenly disengaged, jumping backward. Drake could feel four other people in the room, just waiting for him to charge in so they could take him out. So he stayed outside and stared at the human, switching his grip on Umbra back to normal. He settled into a low crouch, slowly stepping backwards, giving her a small grin. "Will, they're in my room."

A horrific, wall shaking screech sounded out from around the corner, where Drake could feel him and the others hiding, waiting for his call. He saw the woman drop to her knees and cover her ears, screaming as her eardrums ruptured. Pain exploded from the Atlesians, as well as from the other Mantle squatters nearby. Drake made sure to keep a steady stream of Aura going into his ear, preventing any damage to it.

Dashing forward in a blur of movement, Drake grabbed the womans face in his hand, lifting her up, then slamming her back into the ground, cracking it beneath her. Spinning around, he slashed out with Umbra, parrying a strike from another humans rapier. He leaped forward, wrapping his left hand around her throat and slamming her into the wall before throwing her to the side, into another, beefier, woman.

A glowing, yellow arm shot out of another soldiers arm, pinning him to the wall. Another man swung, of all things, a fishing pole, it's hook whistling through the air toward Drake. He ducked under it, pouring Aura into his blade and swiping it at the fast woman. A slash of black Aura ripped towards her, crashing into her and throwing her back into the wall. But before he could turn and begin dealing with the others, he felt someone's hand grab the back of his throat and throw him into the air. He crashed into the ceiling, dust falling with him as he fell back to the ground, where the big woman had a massive hammer out, the back of it glowing as if it was on fire.

The wall exploded, a mass of glowing, dark red tearing through the wood and plaster, bowling into Drake and the Atlesian soldiers and sending them smashing through the outer wall. The chill air bit into Drake as he plummeted towards the cobbled road below, grunting when he hit the stone. Rubble rained down into the street, screaming ringing out as civilians began to scatter.

Drake staggered to his feet, empty-handed. He'd lost his grip on Umbra during his fall, and now he was surrounded by the Spec Op soldiers, each of them stumbling back up. Veronika crouched in front of him, clad in her red cheetah Avatar, snarling at the humans. Looking up, Drake saw Will, Dara and Magnus staring down at them, weapons at the ready. Drake didn't even realize that Will had stopped his song.

"Drake, Schnee. Veronika, rabbit. Will, skinny. Dara, pretty. I got beefy," Magnus snapped out, jumping down to the road. The other two jumped down with him, flanking him as they advanced. "Let's make this quick. I don't want to have to deal with their fucking reinforcements."

Drake looked back at the woman with the rapier, spotting the SDC snowflake emblazoned on her jacket. He hadn't recognized her in the rush of his assault, but he now saw her white hair, her stiff, arrogant stance. He gritted his teeth. He didn't normally let his emotions into a fight, but perhaps he could make an exception this time.

* * *

Magnus charged at the beefy woman, raising his shield and slanting it so that, as the hammer crashed into it, it slid along its surface and not into him. Whipping his ax around, the blue blade skated along her side, ice bursting into being along her ribs. The woman continued to swing her hammer around her body, face contorted into a wince. Magnus flipped over the returning hammer head and quickly rolled away, putting some space between himself and the woman.

The woman growled and stopped swinging her hammer, activating its second function as she propped it on her shoulder. Two rockets blasted out of her weapon and streaked towards Magnus. He pointed the head of his ax at them, crouching behind his shield, and pulled a lever on his handle twice. Dust shot out, cutting into the rockets and exploding them, fire and smoke filling the air.

He charged through the smoke, seeking to use the smoke as cover to attack her, but as he entered, he almost immediately crashed into her as she did the same. He cursed, jumping back and fired another Dust round at her. It struck her in the face, ice covering it as she attempted to swing her hammer around to strike him. But blinded as she was, she staggered backwards, free hand flying to her face, clawing at the ice.

Magnus began to ferociously strike at her, his ax a blur of blue. Ice creeped all along her body, spreading with every slash of the Dust blade against her body. She continued to stumble backwards, the ice on her face half destroyed, but now her movements were being hampered by the frost and ice. Her Aura flashed and shimmered over her body as it tried to fight the cold and sharp blade, but he could tell it was getting lower. Just a bit more and-

Bright, yellow light burst from her feet and connected to the road. The ice covering her began to shatter as she screamed, raising her hammer high above her head and bringing it crashing down onto him. He raised his shield, pressing a button on the handle. As the hammer head slammed into the shield, a blast of gravity Dust flashed from the shield, countering the hammers force.

She leaned back, bringing the hammer back up, only to swing it back down, fire blasting from the back of it. Magnus cursed, stepping backwards so that only the edge hit his shield. But even that sent him flying backwards, rolling head over heels. His Aura flared over his body, skin tingling. He came to a stop and quickly rose to his knees, staggering somewhat. He growled at Beefy as she charged at him. For the love of the gods, why couldn't she just go down?!

* * *

Will spun Rags to Riches in his hands, slicing apart the pale humans glowing, extendable arms. His blue blade blurred in the air, cutting apart every attack launched at him. Breathing in quickly, he whistled, activated his semblance at the same time. A sing-song screech emanated from his Faunus throat, much more focused than his broad scream from before. Only the pale human was affected, and had to suffer the full blast all by himself.

The human winced, long arms disappearing as he covered his ears, gasping. Will dashed forward, pointing the prongs of his trident at him and then pressing a button and twisting a section of the shaft. The head of the trident detached from the shaft, the prongs spreading out and opening much like a claw. They wrapped around the human, the cable connecting it to the shaft growing taut and pulling the claw back to the handle as Will reversed his previous action.

Swinging Rags around, he hurled the trapped human through the air, slamming him into the buildings lining the street. He whipped him around a few more times, whirling him into the street a few times as well, before dropping him at his feet. His trident-hook flew back onto the shaft, returning to its original form.

Raising the trident over the human, Will prepared to stab down into him, but a sudden movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention. His eyes widen and he released a surprised chirp as Magnus' body crashed into him, throwing both of them backwards. They rolled in the street, separating and coming to a stop as they dug their weapons into the road. Will threw him a glare as he stood up, throwing his hands into the air.

"I know," Magnus snapped. "She just caught me off guard."

The big, tall woman charged at them, the pale man slowly getting to his feet behind her. As she swung her hammer, Magnus stepped forward, taking her strike on his shield, slanting it. As it skated along it, Will threw his trident, a small blast of fire bursting from the bottom, projecting it at her with greater force. As it was about to hit her, the head of the weapon turned into its claw form, the prongs wrapping around her body. Lightning then arcked from Rags to her body, Aura shimmering.

Magnus hooked Synden's Bot's head around her ankle and yanked her feet out from under her. She slammed into the road, Will vaulting over her and retrieving his trident from her. He swept the blade through the air and cut across the pale man's body, the slash throwing him back. Will charged after him, teeth bared.

* * *

Dara paced around the fisherman, firing her rifle at him calmly. The human dashed through the street, desperately dodging her Dust rounds. He swung his rod at her, throwing the hook in a wide arc in the hopes of catching her. She casually leaped over the string, continuing to fire away at him. She narrowed her eyes, increasing the effect of her Semblance on him.

He stumbled, scrunching his eyes shut to escape the nauseating blur that his vision had become. His fishing line retracted back into his rod, but now that he was no longer moving, he was an easy target. Ice slammed into his arms, freezing them to his body. Dara switched the ammo from ice to earth via a dial on her rifle, peppering him with bullets of stone. He staggered back the force of the shot impacts, tripping over some rubble to fall against the wall of one of the tall buildings lining the street.

His hook shot out of his rod off to one side, his ability to aim severely hampered by his immobilized arms. Easy prey for her to-

A skittering of metal over stone drew Dara's attention to the humans hook as, somehow, it streaked towards her feet, wrapping around her feet. The string became tight, drawing her feet together and making her fall over as she was pulled towards the human. Her head slammed into the ground, spots dancing in her eyes as she groaned, sliding along the rough road.

Dara, relying on instinct, aimed her rifle, one-handed, towards where she was being dragged to, turning her dial to what she hoped was fire, and fired a few rounds. The kick from the shots jarred her arm, but as she looked towards the human, she saw her fiery bullet crash into him, throwing him back the wall. Just before the round hit, though, she saw that the ice on his body had mostly melted, the red glow of a street heater behind him.

Glancing at her rifle, she turned the dial to gravity and fired a round off to the side, throwing her in the opposite direction. The sudden force yanked the human forward as he held onto his rod, still attached to her feet. But she was already so close to him, her forward momentum sent her crashing into the wall, grunting from the impact.

Turning her current round to fire again, she shot at the lax string just beyond her feet, melting it after a few shots. Detangling her feet, she stood up and detached her rifle magazine, slapping a new one into place. The human finished tying a new hook onto his string, taking a combat stance as he faced Dara again, a stern expression on his face.

* * *

Veronika snarled at the dark-skinned disgrace above her, barely registering the gravity bullet that whizzed past between them. Her Avatar's claws dug into the side of the building as she chased the human, her sparks flying down onto the Avatar.

The mocking woman ran onto the roof, Veronika close behind. She leaped at the human, paws outstretched, but she dodged under her attack, landing an uppercut into Veronika's gut. Her Avatar flashed, her velocity, combined with the upward thrust of the human's fist, sending her rolling along the roof. Scrambling to get back on her feet, she was assaulted by the quick, powerful jabs of the woman, fists slamming again and again into her glowing red hide.

Veronika tried to spin around and snap at her, but she nimbly dodged out of the way, circling around to her rear and launching another flurry of attacks. Gritting her teeth, Veronika, dropped her Avatar as she saw the damn human about to hit her, twisting around and swinging her clawed foot at her head. The woman stumbled forward from the lack of resistance, unable to grasp what was happening before Veronika's foot crashed into the side of her face, throwing her to the side.

The human quickly regained her feet and charged at Veronika, who re-activated her Semblance and pounced at her, teeth bared. They crashed together, Veronika being punched in her Avatar's jaw as she slashed her claws along the rabbit-looking woman's gut. But as her Avatar was thrown to the side, Veronika burst from its top, leaping at the human and swiping her steel claws across her face, the Avatar behind her dissolving in a flash of light.

She staggered back from the two blows, wincing as Veronika landed behind her and swung her foot around again and struck her in the side. She was thrown against the neighbouring building's wall, two stories higher than theirs. Veronika leaped at the disgrace, only to see a flash of lighting and feel a fist crash into her gut, driving the breath from her body. She flew back, over the lip of the roof and towards the cracked and ruined street, where the rest of her team did battle.

* * *

Drake slammed Schnee into a wall, hand wrapped around her throat. Her Aura crackled over her skin, shimmering weakly as Drake threw her off to the side. She staggered to her feet, swords hanging loosely in her grip, hair askew. She breathed heavily, hunched over, a glow emanating from her feet as she summoned a glyph.

Grinning, Drake pointed his blade at her, preparing to drive it into her body. But then he felt Veronika crash to the road, a sudden spike of fear ripping through his mind. He spun around, pouring his energy into his legs as he dashed to where she lay, the last shine of her broken Aura disappearing.

Blood pounded in his head as he saw the woman with the steel fists race down the building, heading straight for Veronika. He snarled, feeling his rage rise. Energy burned in his gut, pulsing through his veins, sizzling in his limbs. His hands twitched, darkness filling his vision, painting the city and people in shades of black and white. And as he roared at the human, he felt a new energy burst into his body, rippling through his muscle and skin. His Destruction.

Black fire seeped from his skin, flames coiling around his arms and legs. Purple sparks flew off his body as his Aura flared from the Destruction, all his energy being pushed to it. Lighting flickered between him and the ground, bolts lancing out through the air, streaking towards the humans. One by one, they were blasted back, Aura's flashing as he shattered them.

He reached Veronika and crouched over her, shielding her with his body and his wings made of Destruction fire and lightning, flared out overhead. He willed his flames to recede from his hands so that he could stroke her cheek gently without hurting her, his clawed finger caressing her skin.

Her eyes fluttered open, a small smile coming to her face as she saw him. As she became more aware, her eyes widened considerably when she looked past his face and to his wings. "Those weren't there last time," she groaned, sitting up with a wince.

"I know. But with my training with Ragnar, they just...started appearing." He shook himself, standing and pulling up Veronika with him. "This isn't the time. We need to get out of the city."

She nodded, looking around when Drake furled his wings onto his back. Dara, Will and Magnus stood around them, weapons not quite trained on them, but held at the ready. Magnus gave Drake a questioning look, to which he simply nodded to him. Magnus released a breath, lowering his shield and ax and gesturing for the others to do the same.

"Ragnar was right. You do have control," Magnus said, stepping closer cautiously.

Drake closed his eyes, feeling his Destruction scouring his body, railing against his mind. With Veronika out of danger, his instinctual seizure of control was now put to the test by the power he held. The only thing keeping him from losing control was his energy from his Semblance, powering his Aura and preventing the Destruction damaging his body. "For now. But once we leave Mantle, I'll only be able to keep control for a little while."

Magnus nodded to him, moving his gaze to the sky. "We have approximately four minutes till we can get a ride out of here. But judging from that sound, we don't have that time before Atlas reinforcements arrive." The distant roar of airship engines grew louder, though they could not see them yet. "Any chance you can get us out of here on those wings?"

Drake frowned, flaring his wings open and leaping into the air. Though he didn't flap his wings while in the air, he could feel the Destruction keeping him aloft. He touched back down to the ground, chewing on his lip. "Maybe. We'll have to see."

Suddenly, he winced, feeling the Destruction course through him, burning his body. He fell to one knee, shuddering. His Aura was being overwhelmed by the Destruction. He couldn't stop himself from pulling on more and more Destruction, cooping it up within him. He'd never had to hold it in before like this. He'd always been in combat, learning control in the heat of the moment, releasing the power almost as fast as he got it. Always learning how to pull more power to devastate his enemies.

"Damnit, I can't," he growled, clutching his stomach. "Get away, now! I...I can't hold it in."

Veronika stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, whispering into his ear. "Drake, its ok. I'm here. I got you. I-"

Drake pushed her away roughly, snarling. "Stay back!" Destruction pulsed within him, raging through his body. His skin felt as if it would boil off of him, his muscles aching for relief. Panic raced through him as fire blossomed on his hands, mere seconds after pushing her away. He could've burned her. Hurt her. "Stay away!"

He staggered back, gasping as black flames spurted from his mouth. Lightning began to flash from his body, slamming into the walls, the ground, the sky. Over the roofs of the tall buildings, five airships could be seen, roaring to a stop overhead. In the street, the Atlesian Spec Ops were stirring, Aura's shimmering over their bodies as they replenished. They were surrounded, soldiers ready to pour out of the sky. His breathing quickened, the world beginning to be bled with red. He wouldn't let him be the reason they died. He would not let the humans win. Drake screeched, throwing out his hands as he released a blast of Destruction, feeling his skin be scorched raw by his flames.


	3. Chapter 2: Control

Magnus cursed, yanking Veronika down a dark alley, following Will and Dara as they raced up ahead, just before Drake let loose a blast of fire and lightning. The world grew noticeably darker, thunder booming as explosions tore through the air behind them. The ground shook, Drake's scream echoing down the halls of the alley.

"By the fucking gods, why did this have to happen here?" Magnus growled.

"We have to go back," Veronika said, tugging on Magnus' hand. "He's panicking right now. He needs me to calm him down, otherwise he'll destroy the entire city."

"Wouldn't be the worst thing that would have happened to it," Dara muttered.

Magnus glared at her back. "He's out of control right now. We'll circle around once he let's off a little steam, then get the fuck out of here."

He pulled out his scroll and called their reinforcements, cursing as it rang. "Bjorn," he said, as another roar echoed behind them, "forget about heading to the safehouse. Focus on my scrolls signal and pick us up ASAP. Code Bloody Hell."

"Affirmative," Bjorn's voice said from the other line. "Hold out for as long as you can."

"Oh, we'll be fine," Magnus grumbled as he pocketed his scroll.

They charged down the alleys for several more minutes, stumbling as the ground shaked, sprinting around corners and across streets. Flashes of darkness behind them ruined their vision, making them crash into trash bins and clumps of homeless humans and Faunus. Gunfire cracked through the air, followed quickly by thunder and explosions.

Finally, an older Atlesian model airship roared overhead, coming to a stop over their alley. Four ropes dropped down as the back hatch opened, a man silhouetted by the lights within. "Move, move, move!" Magnus shouted, quickly grabbing onto one rope and holding on tightly.

The others grabbed on to the other ropes and hung on as they were yanked into the air, streaking towards the ship. They clambered up into the hold, breathing heavily from their mad dash through the slums of Mantle. Bjorn, grey-haired and grinning, helped each of the Faunus into the ship. "I assume our Black Death is putting on the light show?" he asked Magnus, clapping him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come around."

Magnus didn't respond, instead staring out at the destruction and chaos that consumed Mantle. Dozens of airship fighters littered the streets and roofs, burning and smoking through their torn hulls. Drake could be seen, flying through the sky, surrounded by a sphere of black fire, purple lightning flashing out and ripping into the buildings around him.

"We need to get him out of there," Magnus said, glancing at Veronika. "Are you sure you can calm him down?"

She nodded, her hands clenched into fists at her side. "I'm sure. He won't hurt me."

He looked to Bjorn. "Take us in. It won't be long till he's worn out from that power."

Bjorn cocked an eyebrow. "He can last for longer. Let him have some fun, Magnus, show the humans that they can't scare us any longer."

Magnus lunged forward and grabbed Bjorn's collar, pulling him close to his face. "Take. Us. In," he hissed, glaring into Bjorn's eyes.

Bjorn chuckled, wiping the spit from his face. "Oh, boy, you think you can take me? Perhaps I should remind you of your place. I'm not one of those White Fang milksops, and you know it."

Magnus held him there for a few more seconds, before pushing him back. "If you won't, I will." He nodded to Veronika and made to jump out of the airship.

"Fine, you damn drama queen," Bjorn grumbled, heading to the cockpit. "But be prepared to get chewed out by Ragnar. He was really looking forward to seeing Drake put the fear of the gods into them."

The airship turned around, wind whistling into the hold of the ship. The buildings below them flew by, the streets filled with panicking, screaming civilians fleeing Drake's carnage, alarms blaring throughout the cities streets. Bodies could be seen, lying awkwardly in the road. Magnus glanced at Veronika, who looked deathly pale, a hand covering her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, slowly streaming down her cheeks and through her fingers.

Soon enough, they had reached the center of Drake's storm, the lights of the city dimmed and shadowy mists floating through the air. The ship spun around so that they could face Drake from the hatch, staring at him. Through the flames and lightning partially obscuring him, Magnus could see an intense and ferocious expression on his face, his eyes completely black. He glanced at the ship, but didn't focus on it, eyes roving over the city.

Magnus looked to Veronika, nodding to her. "We'll take your lead."

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply, before calling out Drake's name.

* * *

Drake watched Mantle burn beneath him. Distantly, he thought he could hear the fear, pain, rage of the people below him. He tried to turn his head, but pain lanced through him, stopping his motion. His arms hung limply at his sides, scorched and black, fire dancing along his skins.

A voice cut through his daze, making him try to turn his head again. That voice...it seemed familiar to him. As if he knew it. Despite the agony that filled his body, he managed to turn and face the source of the voice. Where he saw Veronika.

Instinctively, he latched onto her emotions, drinking in her panic, her horror, her sadness. Energy poured back into his body, and he gasped as he regained control. And yet, even as he came back to full awareness, he nearly lost it as the full scope of his wounds slammed into him. He dropped, crashing into the ground with a groan, cracking the burnt, shattered road. He closed his eyes, wheezing as Destruction ripped through him, searing his insides. Aura crackled over his body, sparks flying as it met Destruction. By the gods, what had he done?

He looked up, and saw a charred, smoking corpse staring at him. Bile rose in his throat, almost instantly incinerated by Destruction, making him even more sick. Images flashed in his head, of another ruin, another body, another fight. He shuddered. Not again. He would not have it happen again.

"Drake."

Drake's head snapped up, eyes meeting Veronika's, relief surging through him. He stood and staggered towards her, forcing the Destruction to focus on his back, into his wings. He embraced her, breathing in her scent, trying to forget the smell of smoke and burnt flesh that permeated the air.

"Drake, you need to stop this," she said into his ear, hugging him tightly. "Before anymore die."

Drake shook his head. "I can't. I never learned how."

Veronika stepped back, an incredulous expression on her face. "What?! How'd you fucking stop with Ragnar?!"

"I passed out."

Veronika closed her eyes, lips pursed. Drake could feel her anger grow, seething beneath her skin. He raised a hand and rested it on her shoulder, wincing as he moved his arm. "Don't worry. I have control now. But we need to go somewhere safe, for me to use the rest of the power and get it out of my system."

"Can you handle it?" She said, opening her eyes.

Drake nodded, leaning on her as they headed to the airship, sitting just behind her. Magnus and his team stood in the hatch, watching him, weapons readied again. Blood pounded in his head, his legs weak and rubbery, but with Veronika's support he got into the airship. His wings furled tightly to his body, crackling against his Aura.

Once he was on board, the ship lifted off, roaring away, out of the city as its hatch closed behind them. It vibrated under his feet and against his arm as he leaned on the side of the hull, breathing heavily. Sweat poured off his body, mingled with his blood that seeped from his charred, cracked skin, his Aura working overtime to heal him and prevent further damage. All around him, he could sense the panic, the terror, that consumed the citizens of Mantle, all of them seeping into him through his Semblance.

As they reached the edge of the city, though, he felt a new, darker, more archaic rage from beyond the city, rapidly approaching its walls. Dozens, hundreds, of things charging forward, some in the air, most on the ground, surrounding the city. "Grimm," he breathed, feeling his gut drop.

"What?" Magnus said, standing close by. "Grimm?"

"He's right," Bjorn said, joining them in the hold. "Hundreds of Grimm are charging the city. Atlas military has been fully deployed to counter them, and then to chase us." He looked to Drake, grinning. "You've done in a few minutes what would take Ragnar a whole fucking month."

Drake closed his eyes, shivering. How many had he killed, just by himself? How many more would die in the coming hours, because of him? How many children will find their parents killed because of his damn carelessness?

His eyes snapped open. He could make this right. He straightened and stepped away from Veronika, striding towards the side door. He heard her protest, grabbing onto his arm and trying to pull him back, but he slammed his free hand into the button to open the door. It slid open, letting the wind blast inside, nearly knocking him over.

Breathing deeply, Drake held out his hand, Destruction coursing into it. He closed his eyes, sensing the Grimm, picking out each one individually. He focused his fire and lightning into his hand, feeling something solid start to form in his hand, before he released the Destruction in a stream into the sky.

Thunder boomed through the sky, shaking the airship. The smell and taste of ozone permeated air, just before the world became enveloped in a flash of light. With a massive CRACK, lightning poured from the sky, ripping into the frozen earth, slicing through the Grimm attacking the city. Fire blossomed in the sky, searing through the Teryx's that soared towards Mantle. Drake swayed, legs buckling beneath him, and he began to fall forward, vision fading.

* * *

Veronika lunged forward and caught Drake before he fell out of the airship, throwing him back into the hold. Outside, purple lightning continued to strafe over the tundra, flames scorching the night sky. All the Grimm, on this side of the side of the city at least, were incinerated by Drake's attack, their shadowy dust filling the air. She closed off the door before moving to Drake.

"Drake, are you ok?" she said, kneeling down beside him.

With the fire and lightning gone, Veronika could see the horrific burns that covered his arms and body. His skin was blackened and cracked, just like it was after his first usage of this power. His face was grey and bloodless, his cheeks sunken. His chest rose and fell, his hands twitching at his sides. And, like she was before, Veronika was useless here.

Magnus knelt on Drake's other side, laying a gentle hand on his forehead. His Aura glowed on his hand, giving off a grey light. "He'll be fine. Nothing we can't, or haven't, healed before."

Removing his hand, he looked at Veronika. "Thanks for calming him down, Veronika. We'll make sure he gets home safely."

Magnus stood and walked away, leaving Veronika alone with Drake. The other soldiers scattered throughout the hold, falling into quiet conversations. She gingerly held his hand, stroking her fingers over his blackened claws. With her other hand, she pulled out her jade necklace, thumbing it.

The ride to their base was long, the dark sky outside brightening as the sun rose. Exhaustion crawled through her body, making her eyelids leaden. She blinked blearily, eyes trained on Drake's face. Already, his Aura had managed to stop the bleeding and shined over his limbs, healing the blackened skin slowly. But the light grew progressively weaker, Drake's store of energy from his Semblance dwindling.

The ship's engines quieted somewhat, its movement slowing. Magnus walked back over to her, followed by Will. "Veronika, we'll carry him to the infirmary. Report to Ragnar with Dara and Bjorn and get that out of the way, alright? We'll make sure Eir sets a bed up for you to sleep nearby."

Veronika nodded vacantly, holding on to Drake's hand for a while longer before standing and waiting for the ship to land. Her gaze sharpened as she looked forward to meeting Ragnar. He had to answer for not training Drake properly, for causing such a bloody catastrophe.

* * *

Magnus stood at the entrance to the infirmary, watching as Veronika slept beside Drake. Will stood beside him, listening as Dara gave her report to Magnus. "Veronika is under his influence, almost as much as Drake," she said. "She went in, all fired up and ready to give him a piece of her mind, and almost immediately caved. Saying she trusted his judgement, that she knew he had his best interests at heart. I don't think he was influencing her mind and thought processes directly."

"Then it's emotional, right?" Will asked, his robotic voice emanating from his collar. A soft whistling could be heard through his nose as he breathed, caused by his avian syrinx replacing his vocal cords. "Something that increases positive emotions, specifically directed at him, to rise in the target?"

Magnus nodded absently. "Lines up with what I felt during Goodwill. I felt so sure that he was right, that I could trust him." He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Even after all these years, he couldn't banish the images of the burned villages, the streets filled with the dead. "Hell. That'll make everything a lot harder."

"Are we certain that our men haven't been affected by his Semblance yet?" Dara asked. "If it is emotional, we need to destroy any semblance of trust they may have in the man before he builds on it on our move."

"The man's sixty, Dara," Will said, "his Semblance is probably powerful enough to turn Jacque Schnee into his best friend. He convinced the entire Frost Fang leadership to step down and elect him sole general when he was only thirty. If he really wanted to, he could probably make us do whatever the hell he wanted."

"But he hasn't," Magnus said, looking at Will. "Which means he may not be able to do so. Might be range, might be the number of people he can influence, but either way, he is limited. And as with me, we can break his influence on people."

"And what if he just orders us to lay down our arms and surrender?" Dara said. "What if he has spies within our group? We don't know how his Semblance works, and we can't make a move until we do."

Magnus closed his eyes briefly, grimacing. "There might be a way to find out how it works."

Dara and Will watched him, waiting for him to elaborate. But as he stayed silent, their faces paled. "Your Semblance," Will said. "If you can get close, you can see how it works."

"If," Dara emphasized, "if he can get close. The mans paranoid, doesn't let anyone touch him unless he has personally cleared them. And he knows Magnus' Semblance. He'll be particularly cautious around him. Only way to get a hand on him would be to knock him unconscious, kill him, or otherwise incapacitate him."

She levelled a glare at him. "Are you thinking of anything like that?"

"The man's a murderer," Magnus defended, glaring right back. "He's ordered the slaughter of hundreds of people, hundreds of-" He stopped, glancing around. No Faunus were nearby, but he didn't want to take the chance of anyone overhearing.

"He's still the man who's led us to this point, who's kept the fight alive, who has never given up," Dara whispered. "He would do anything, no matter what it would cost, to win us our freedom."

"And that's what I'm afraid of," Will said. "How many of us will he sacrifice to win?"

Dara closed her eyes, hissing through her teeth. "I did not join you to consider killing the man."

"Only to imprison him, then?" Magnus asked. "To replace him with yourself? He is a criminal, who has tainted our people."

"At least he isn't a damn Menagerian coward." Dara turned and stalked away, leaving the infirmary.

Will sighed, breathing singing. "She'll come around. Though I'm not exactly thrilled to consider assassination either."

"We don't have time to be caught up in morality. Drake's learning to control his new power. The minute he has it down, Ragnar's bringing Atlas down on top of Mantle."

Will gave Magnus a questioning look. "What do you mean? Like, literally?"

Magnus looked over to Drake, sleeping peacefully. "I noticed something when we picked him up. The road beneath his feet was starting to crumble, like it was decaying, except nothing was making it do it. No lightning, no force, no fire. Just his mere presence and touch made stone crack and turn to dust. It wasn't quick or very apparent, but if he gains full control, and reaches Atlas…"

"Ragnar won't need a fleet, or an army," Will finished. "Just Drake. He'll break it apart like it's made of bread."

"We don't have years anymore," Magnus told him. "We have, at most, months. We need to make a move at the last possible moment, when we have our greatest possible strength. And we need Drake on our side when we do. For all our fucking sakes."

* * *

James stood in the blackened and broken street of Mantle, watching Ozpin gaze at the destruction. Soldiers flitted around them, repairing the damage, clearing out the rubble from the road and carrying away bodies covered in sheets. Crowds gathered at the edges of the city, watching the effort somberly.

"Do you know what could have caused this?" James asked Ozpin, stepping forward.

Ozpin glanced back at him, leaning on his cane. "Yes. I do. Who did this, however, I do not know exactly. Though I have my guesses on who it could be."

"It's a Faunus child. Drake Shade, about 14 years of age," James told him, pulling out his scroll and pulling up his file on the child. "Lived in Tanelor, a village part of the Goodwill program I started 15 years ago. Became an orphan in the destruction of the villages in the program and the subsequent scrapping of the program by my predecessor. Recruited into the White Fang four years ago, then the Frost Fangs, and since has been a pain in our side. Despite being a kid, he can take on the best fighters I can field. And now, this."

Ozpin pursed his lips. "Shade, you say?"

James focused on him, taking another half-step forward. "Yes. His mother's maiden name. Evelyn Shade."

Ozpin sighed. "He spoke at length of Evelyn before he left," the professor muttered to himself. "I guess I know why now." He turned to face James fully, a hard glint to his eye. "James, I will stay here until we recover the boy. And I will tell you what I know of his abilities, to better prepare your forces to survive contact with him. But first, let me see the footage you have on him. I must see how far along in his training he is."

"Oz, what am I facing here?"

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "You face a child touched by the God of Darkness. We must find him before Salem, or others, realize that he is here, and vulnerable."


End file.
